Big Idea:
Students learn that good writers write a good story by planning, revising, editing, and publishing.

I introduced students to the writing process by showing them a SmartBoard lesson that contained explanations and links to videos on each step of the process.

I started out by showing students the prewriting page with the definition. I explained to students that prewriting is the same as brainstorming. This is where writers generate ideas. Next, I showed the video. Students were directed to discuss why the prewriting process is important with their face partner. Having students discuss helps to develop their academic language and leads to greater student understanding. It also encourages attentive, respectful listening. Finally, I showed the drafting video and repeated the above process.

This is all I showed students that day. I continued the lesson the following day. At the conclusion of the lesson, students and seen and discussed all explanations and videos of the writing process. They were now ready to try the process.

Resources

I wanted to guide students through all stages of the writing process, so we wrote a short story together. They were writing their stories on their own using the process, but would take more than a week. I wanted students to have a complete view of the process within a shorter time frame. In other words, I wanted them to see the entire puzzle verses the pieces that make up the puzzle.

I brainstormed a few ideas with students on chart paper. We voted to write about a giraffe at the zoo. We filled in the story elements graphic organizer on the SmartBoard and wrote the first draft. Next, I modeled revising and the editing process. We concluded with the publishing process and added a picture of a giraffe.

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Resources

I assessed students by asking them to match our class story with each stage of the writing process. This let me know whether or not students were able to identify and understand what happened at each stage.